Reuters has reported on a newly released audio recording showing that Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, initially told ESPN reporter Tisha Thompson that the Los Angeles Dodgers star had agreed to help repay his gambling debts before later admitting he had lied.
Less than 24 hours after the first interview, Mizuhara changed his account and acknowledged to Thompson that his initial claims were false.
Mizuhara is currently serving a 57-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. He admitted to stealing nearly $17m from Ohtani to cover debts linked to illegal gambling.
The recording of Thompson’s interview with Mizuhara is featured in ‘’The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani,’’ a six-part series from ‘’30 for 30 Podcasts’’.
During the first interview in March 2024, Mizuhara said he began betting with an illegal bookmaker after meeting him at a poker game. As his debts increased, he said he approached Ohtani for financial help.
“I asked him if he could pay my debt off. He had to give it some thought,” Mizuhara told Thompson.
Mizuhara said Ohtani was hesitant because he wanted to ensure the money would only be used to settle the gambling debts.
“He wanted to make sure it’s going back to the debts,” Mizuhara said.
However, after the Los Angeles Dodgers fired Mizuhara following the interview and Ohtani’s legal team accused him of a “massive theft,” he later withdrew much of his original account during a second conversation with Thompson.
Mizuhara previously worked as Ohtani’s interpreter with both the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers, with the pair described as close friends before Ohtani ended their relationship following the theft allegations.
Mizuhara began serving his sentence last month at a low-security federal prison in Pennsylvania
